The premium spot for shopping in New York City has gleaming skyscrapers, numerous museums, luxury hotels and a beautiful cathedral.

While New York residents work busily in tall buildings in Midtown East, you can shop or visit museums day after day. This part of Manhattan is designated as Midtown East or Midtown West along the north-south divide of Fifth Avenue, lined by iconic retail stores.

On the east side of 5th, shop at Salvatore Ferragamo, Rolex and Tiffany & Co. among other luxury stores and boutiques. Enter a glass box to visit the always-open Apple Fifth Avenue store.

Next to flagship Louis Vuitton and Saks 5th Avenue stores is St. Patrick’s Cathedral, built in 1878, a massive neo-gothic structure with tall twin spires. Find more shopping on Madison Avenue, famous for advertising agencies in its tall buildings.

Gaze up at the Empire State Building, which opened in 1931 and appeared as an integral part of the King Kong movie in 1933. Today it features outstanding light shows in the evening and stays open after midnight for city viewing by day or night. From observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors, gaze north to Central Park, west to Times Square, east to the art deco Chrysler Building with its terraced spire and south to the Statue of Liberty.

Several of New York’s favourite museums are in this part of town. Visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), with a collection of nearly 200,000 works from the past 150 years, as well as frequent exhibitions from around the world. Continuing north along the eastern edge of Central Park, follow “Museum Mile” to tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and numerous other museums and art galleries.

Stay at an old or new luxury hotel on the prestigious Park Avenue. Head toward the East River where the United Nations Headquarters is a gleaming skyscraper surrounded by colourful flags of member nations.

Arrive in Midtown East via train at the massive Grand Central Terminal. Find lots of opportunities for eating throughout the neighbourhood, extending south to Koreatown.